UTSA 27 - Texas A&M Commerce 16: UTSA kicker Sean Ianno (92) and Seth Grubb (86) celebrate after a successful field goal made against Texas A&M-Commerce in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

UTSA 27 - Texas A&M Commerce 16: UTSA's David Glasco II (11) stiff arms Texas A&M-Commerce's Shaquelle Massey (22) as he heads in for a touchdown in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

UTSA 27 - Texas A&M Commerce 16: UTSA's Franky Anaya (64) reacts after intercepting a pass as teammate Cody Rogers congratulates Anaya on the play against Texas A&M-Commerce in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012.

UTSA 56 - Northwestern Oklahoma St. 3: UTSA's Jason Neil (96) scrambles to recover a blocked punt against Northwestern Oklahoma State in the second half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. UTSA won 56-3.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

UTSA 56 - Northwestern Oklahoma St. 3: UTSA's Richard Burge (61) after a tackle against Northwestern Oklahoma State at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.

UTSA 35 - New Mexico State 14: New Mexico State tight end Perris Scoggins gets his helmet ripped off during an NCAA college football game against Texas-San Antonio on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in Las Cruces, N.M.

Photo By Robin Zielinski/Associated Press

UTSA 35 - New Mexico State 14: UTSA's CheRod Simpson cheers while leaving the field at halftime of the team's NCAA college football game against New Mexico State on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in Las Cruces, N.M.

Photo By Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle

Rice 34 - UTSA 14: Rice defensive tackle Christian Covington, left, and defensive end Cody Bauer (90) bring down UTSA running back David Glasco II (11) during the first quarter of a college football game at Rice Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Houston.

Photo By Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle

Rice 34 - UTSA 14: UTSA running back Brandon Armstrong (5) has a pass go off his hands during the fourth quarter of a college football game against Rice at Rice Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Houston.

Photo By Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle

Rice 34 - UTSA 14: Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue (16) is brought down by Texas-San Antonio defensive end Dan Winter (95) and linebacker Brandon Reeves during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game at Rice Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Houston.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

San Jose State 52 - UTSA 24: UTSA's Evans Okotcha (21) sprints to a 69-yard touchdown against San Jose State in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

San Jose State 52 - UTSA 24: UTSA's Evans Okotcha (21) leaps over San Jose State's Cullen Newsome (39) in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

San Jose State 52 - UTSA 24: UTSA's Franky Anaya (64) gets congratulated by graduate assistant coach Benny Morrison after Anaya recovered a fumble against San Jose State in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012.

Photo By Billy Calzada/Express-News

Utah State 48 - UTSA 17: UTSA head coach Larry Coker leads his team out of the tunnel to face Utah State in WAC football action at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.

Photo By Billy Calzada/Express-News

Utah State 48 - UTSA 17: UTSA tight end Cole Hubble hauls in a long pass as Utah State's Brian Suite defends during WAC football action at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.

Utah State 48 - UTSA 17: Devonta Glover-Wright (20) of Utah State blocks a punt by UTSA's Kristian Stern (38) as Jumanne Robertson of Utah State (15) approaches during WAC football action at the Alamodome on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. (Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA 31 - McNeese State 24: Evans Okotcha of UtSA scores a first-half touchdown against McNeese State during college football action in the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA 31 - McNeese State 24: UTSA running back Evans Okotcha (36) celebrates with teammate David Glasco II after Okotcha scored a first-half touchdown against McNeese State in action at the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA 38 - Texas State 31: UTSA's Kenny Bias celebrates a touchdown with teammate Jeremiah Moeller (85) against Texas State in the first half of their game at the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA 38 - Texas State 31: UTSA's Kenny Harrison reacts after running in a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown against Texas State in the first half of their game at the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News)

UTSA 38 - Texas State 31: UTSA's Evans Okotcha (36) attempts to dive in for a touchdown against Texas State's Craig Mager (25) and Justin Iwuji (08) in the second half of their game at the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Okotcha had stepped out of bounds before the attempt. The Roadrunners defeated the Bobcats 38-31. (San Antonio Express-News)

Photo By Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News

UTSA 38 - Texas State 31: UTSA fans celebrate on the field after the game against Texas State at the Alamodome on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. The Roadrunners defeated the Bobcats 38-31.

More Information

C-USA'S FOOTBALL FUTURE2013 lineupTulsa: Defending champs talking to other conferences.UTEP: Could benefit with move to Boise State-bolstered Mountain West.North Texas: Incoming from the Sun Belt, 4-8 last year.Rice: Could be a factor in 2013 C-USA title race.UTSA: Incoming from WAC, third-year Roadrunners finished 8-4 last fall.Louisiana Tech: Incoming from WAC, Bulldogs surged into Top 25 in 2012.Tulane: Headed to Big East in 2014 despite spotty football success.Alabama-Birmingham: Down for years, Blazers went 3-9 last fall.Southern Mississippi: One of C-USA's traditional powers, won title in 2011.Marshall: Played in bowl games in 2009, 2011.Florida International: Incoming from Sun Belt, took hard fall to 3-9 last year.East Carolina: Headed to Big East in 2014, won 2008 and 2009 C-USA titles.Possible late additions from Sun Belt: Florida Atlantic — Lots of potential after opening new on-campus stadium. Middle Tennessee — Went 8-4 last fall, beat Georgia Tech on the road.Set to join by 2015Old Dominion: Monarchs' football program was reinstated in 2009.Charlotte: 49ers set to play inaugural season as FCS independent this fall.- Jerry Briggs

Lynn Hickey laughed at the idea that Internet trolls, patrolling college football message boards in recent weeks, already had pegged UTSA for the Mountain West Conference.

She also denied it.

“We have not had any conversations, and I have not had a call, nothing,” UTSA's athletic director said last week.

Nonetheless, in the days after Boise State announced plans to scrap a move to the Big East and remain in the Mountain West, online forums buzzed.

In particular, the speculation ran amok on New Year's Eve.

As Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson announced the return of Boise State and noted the possibility that he also could reel in San Diego State, he mentioned that he had talked to other schools, as well.

On message boards, the fans responded, with most speculating about SMU, Houston and Tulsa.

But a smattering even talked about coach Larry Coker's fledgling UTSA football program.

Currently based in the Western Athletic Conference, Coker's Roadrunners are scheduled to take a modest 12-10, two-year record into Conference USA this fall.

In quashing the UTSA-to-the-Mountain West chatter, Hickey issued a firm denial, saying, “No, we're in the WAC this year. We've already made our first down payment to be in Conference USA next year, and so that's the direction we're going.”

They know that major conferences are expected to continue making more realignment moves in coming years.

They also know that as the major conferences quake, the mid-majors also will shake, and that's what has happened within the past year.

The Big Ten recently snapped up Maryland and Rutgers, a move that in turn forced officials in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East, respectively, to re-think their positions.

Also, seven Catholic schools bolted from the Big East to form their own basketball-centric conference.

Boise State, already wondering about whether it really wanted to start play in the Big East this fall, elected on New Year's Eve to bail out. It decided to stay home, taking a package sweetened with financial incentives, to stay in the Mountain West.

With Boise's return, the Mountain West emerged strategically as the early leader among second-tier conferences that include the Big East, C-USA, the Sun Belt and the Mid American.

Being the leader of that group is significant, based on the new postseason format.

Starting in 2014, the top-rated champion from those five conferences will snag a berth in one of college football's premier postseason games — a slot that could be worth tens of millions to that school's league.

It's probably not a coincidence, then, that Houston and SMU — both leaving C-USA for the Big East this fall — have been linked in mainstream media reports to discussions regarding Mountain West expansion.

In addition, C-USA defending champion Tulsa and even UTEP have been mentioned, with Tulsa admitting that it has engaged in talks with the Mountain West and Big East.

Such talk is a concern for UTSA because both schools have been penciled in as annual opponents for the Roadrunners in a C-USA Western Division.

“Just to be clear, I'm more excited about this group (in 2013) than I've ever been,” C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said. “The enthusiasm we have is great. We've put ourselves in great shape going forward. We can still lose members, and that's OK, because we have a great core in place.

“It's a group with a whole lot of upside potential.”

In fact, Banowsky said that C-USA has plans for a 14-team football conference this fall, two more than expected.

Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic, he said, are strong candidates to play in the conference a year ahead of their projected 2014 entry.

If Banowsky can close the deal before the end of the month, those two would join UTSA, UTEP, North Texas, Rice, Tulsa and Tulane, as well as Louisiana Tech, East Carolina, Marshall, Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham and Florida International in the largest C-USA field in history.

East Carolina and Tulane already have agreed to leave and join the Big East a year from now, so C-USA is tentatively scheduled to revert to a dozen members in 2014.

Plans call for the conference to increase to 14 again by 2015 with the addition of Old Dominion and Charlotte.

If Tulsa bolts, it wouldn't be the first time a conference champion has left C-USA.

Houston, Central Florida and East Carolina won titles in recent years. All received what they considered to be better deals from the Big East, then all said goodbye.

“We don't really try and deter that,” Banowsky said. “In fact, we promote it. We want the schools in our conference to be the very best they can possibly be.”

Apparently, the Roadrunners don't even need to play a game in C-USA, much less win a championship, to be discussed in fan forums as a candidate to move up in the college football hierarchy.

Hickey laughed at the idea.

“Just put it like this,” she said. “Two years ago, we hadn't even played a down of football. Now, everybody's worried about whether we're going to be in Conference USA or the Mountain West or the Big East? It's a pretty cool problem to have.”

Seriously, Hickey said, UTSA's destination already has been decided no matter what fans may see on the message boards.